The present invention relates to a method for rolling up a cable, wire, rope or the like into a ring. The invention also relates to an apparatus for rolling up a cable, wire, rope or the like into a ring.
Cables are supplied in various lengths by being rolled up into a ring. The ring of cable is packed in various types of packagings. A packaging commonly available on the market is constituted by a thin film packaging made from reusable plastic. To prevent the ring of cable from naturally unwinding before it is enclosed by the film packaging, a strap or the like is bound diametrically around the ring.
Providing the cable rolled up into a ring with a strap arranged diametrically around the ring means an increase in the total time for packing the ring and an increased use of resources, since more material is required to pack the ring. The strap only constitutes an aid during the packing of the cable, but performs no function once the cable has been enclosed by the film packaging.
The object of the invention is to eliminate the need for a strap or the like which is bound diametrically around a cable rolled up into a ring before the ring of cable is enclosed by a packaging.
This is achieved by a method of the type stated in the introduction, in which an end part of the cable is fixed, by the weight from the rolled-up ring of cable, between the rolled-up ring of cable and a support on which the rolled-up ring of cable is placed, and in which the rolled-up ring of cable is advanced on the support with the end part fixed between the rolled-up ring of cable and the support.
The fixing of the end part of the cable between the ring and the support prevents the ring from unwinding when it is advanced on a support. The geometric shape of the ring can thus be maintained until the film packaging has enclosed the ring. The consequence of this is that a strap or the like which is bound diametrically around the ring becomes superfluous.
There are a plurality of apparatuses or machines on the market which roll up a cable or the like into a ring and pack the ring in a packaging. Since the lengths of cable which are packed are very large in total and since each packaging with a cable rolled up into a ring contains a limited length of cable, the number of packed rings is very large. It is therefore desirable to minimize the quantity of packing material which is required to pack each ring of rolled-up cable.
Owing to the large length of cable which is packed, it is also desirable to increase the production rate in order thereby to reduce the production costs. By reducing the time it takes between a ring having been rolled up to the next ring being rolled up, the number of packed rings per unit of time can be increased. One wish is for the stoppage time between each commenced rolling-up of the cable to be eliminated, so that rolling-up and packeting of the cable is continuously ongoing in the apparatus.
When the cable is to be rolled up into a ring, it can sometimes occur that the cable end ends up askew, so that this cannot be fixed before the rolling-up is to commence. This means that it is not possible to produce a ring of the cable, thereby giving rise to an often costly interruption to the production.
Efforts are also being made to integrate a rolling-up and packing apparatus into the cable-manufacturing method. The insulation material is applied to the conductor by, for example, extrusion, which is achieved with a relatively fast feed rate for the conductor.
These means that the feed rate of the finished cable is high. In order to be able to roll up the finished cable directly after manufacture, the roll-up and packing apparatus must operate at essentially the same feed rate as the extrusion apparatus.
A further object of the invention is to reduce the production time spent packing the cable or the like.
Yet another object is to increase reliability during packaging of cable or the like in order to prevent production stoppage.
Yet another object is to integrate an apparatus for rolling up a cable or the like into a ring with a cable-manufacturing apparatus.
This is achieved by an apparatus of the type stated in the introduction, which comprises a first and second spool head, each provided with an axially displaceable core, on which spool heads the cable is arranged to be rolled up, which respective core comprises a gripping device for securing the cable and a cutting device for cutting the cable; a cable guide which is movable along an axis and which, in a first end position, directs the cable such that the cable coincides with a line extending from the cable guide to the periphery of a cable rolled up on the second spool head, the said line extending through a region occupied by the axial extent of the core of the first spool head, and which, in a second end position, directs the cable such that the cable coincides with a line extending from the cable guide to the periphery of a cable rolled up on the first spool head, the said line extending through a region occupied by the axial extent of the core of the second spool head.
Such an apparatus ensures that the stoppage time between rolling-up of two rings of cable is eliminated, which means that the number of packed rings per unit of time increases, thereby reducing the production cost. The feed rate of the cable in the apparatus can also be increased, which means that the apparatus can be integrated with a cable-manufacturing apparatus. The alternate winding of the cable on the first and second spool head means that there is no cable end which can end up askew at the commencement of each roll-up operation, which increases reliability and eliminates the risk of production stoppage. Using the apparatus according to the invention, it is also possible accurately to obtain a predetermined length of the cable wound into a ring.